It was a Love Supreme Friday on 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, and hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God brought the kind of conversation that sticks with you long after you’ve set down your coffee. Between local election results, a deep dive into community economics, and one of the most inspiring guests the show has welcomed in recent memory, Episode 53 of Season 4 delivered on every front.
The morning opened with some reflection on Omaha’s recent primary election results, and the hosts didn’t shy away from the weight of the moment. Buddy the God captured the frustration many voters feel: “It’s a dirty, ugly game. And at the end of the day, how much does that actually have to do with civil service and the important things?” Viewer Kimber Snipes echoed that sentiment from the chat, writing, “I’ve been having conversations with people between the ages of 20 and 35. What I hear the most is most of them don’t really know what to do and know nothing about the candidates. I don’t think we should be slamming people for not voting when the system is really what has caused this. I think we need to have more education and deep dive discussions.” It’s the kind of honest, grounded perspective that reminds us why local civic engagement matters — and how much work there still is to do.
Paul B. also introduced a framework he’s been thinking about: the “secondary matrix.” It’s not a policy proposal or a slogan — it’s a way of seeing how real community change happens at the ground level. “The primary matrix is us on this show — talking heads talking about the situation,” he explained. “The secondary matrix is when we got chat chimers and people going to the towers and really talking to folks and us trying to raise some funds to make those things happen.” Viewer Pops connected it beautifully from personal experience: “I experienced my secondary matrix in junior high when I took algebra. I was gaining proficiency and noticed I was suddenly able to think outside the box on several different levels. Music the same.”
That observation about music was the perfect bridge to the morning’s centerpiece conversation — a sit-down with Dana Murray, founder and director of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA), located right on the North 24th Street corridor. A South Omaha native who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home, Murray came back with a clear-eyed mission: teach young people music, and in doing so, build something much larger.
Murray’s vision for North 24th Street — what locals lovingly call “the Deuce” — is both practical and ambitious. “For a district to succeed, you need enough housing, places of service, parking, laundromats, eateries, gas stations — all the things any area needs to be self-sustained,” he said. “It would be great to have a hotel, because then you can throw larger attractions — music festivals, conferences — right in the community. The X’s and O’s have to make sense.” Paul B., who has long felt the pull of that corridor, couldn’t agree more: “I’ve always called it the most important black corner in Nebraska. We got to serve it. We have to be of service to it.”
NMA, formerly known as Love’s Jazz, is already serving it. Beyond instrument instruction, the academy runs electives in live sound engineering, broadcasting, and podcast production. Murray described getting students to interview visiting artists, teaching them the history of legends like Victor Lewis — one of the most recorded jazz drummers in history — and giving young people the context to connect the dots of their own culture. “If you give kids context, they connect the dots for themselves,” he said. “Now you’ve got a critical thinking human — that’s ultimately what we’re trying to do.”
Murray’s comparison of NMA’s potential to Omaha Performing Arts — an institution that generates $40 to $50 million in annual revenue for downtown — wasn’t hyperbole. It was a blueprint. “We need a vehicle like that for North Omaha, and I see NMA taking up that space,” he said plainly. The academy is planning a capital campaign with a first phase goal of $20 million, with the long-term dream of a full NMA campus. And at the heart of all of it is a belief Murray returns to again and again: “The sooner we understand that our culture is equity — that our brilliance, our artistic genius is equity — the better off we’re going to be, because then it’s going to be respected.”
Viewer Derek Higgins summed up what a lot of people were feeling in the chat: “Congrats, Dana, and what NMA is doing.” And viewer Pops added warmly, “I love this interview. This brother’s vibe is so cool and his intentions are admirable. First Sky loves the kids.”
The morning also held a moment of pure joy, as viewer Arrows 402 (Mary Sanchez) shared: “On a love note — my only daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter. They are both new and good. I feel blessed.” That’s the kind of news that belongs on a Love Supreme Friday.
For those inspired by what NMA is building, the academy is actively seeking music instructors who don’t just know their craft — but know how to light a fire in a young person. Murray emphasized that the “why” matters most: “Unless you’re able to inspire a young person, they don’t really have the attention span for it.” Interested instructors can reach Dana Murray at dmurray@northomusicmusic.org or assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomusicmusic.org.
“We’re not only raising musicians, but more importantly we’re raising more critical thinking human beings.” — Dana Murray, North Omaha Music Academy
With NMA Fest on the horizon and a community-wide conversation about what North 24th Street can become, this Friday episode felt like something of a rallying cry. Buddy the God put it as plainly as anyone could: “We got to build our own ecosystems — but in the long run, we do got to figure this out as a nation.” One Friday morning at a time, it seems like Omaha is doing exactly that.
Tune in Monday morning to 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning — because if this week was any indication, the conversation is just getting started.
